Shanghai's Most Endearing Street—Huangpu Road

🌻Huangpu Road, commencing from the western Waibaidu Bridge and extending eastward to Qingpu Road, runs parallel to the Huangpu River. Owing to its prime geographical location, from 1852 onwards, consulates from Germany, the United States, Japan, Russia, Denmark, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire all established their presence on this road. The present-day No. 20 Huangpu Road (Image 7️⃣), constructed in 1916, has continuously served as the Russian Consulate. The entire consulate building, designed by a German architect, is a harmonious blend of Baroque and German Renaissance styles and elements. The hexagonal pavilion at the top offers a panoramic view of the Huangpu River and overlooks the Huangpu Road area, making it a classic masterpiece among the consulates in Shanghai at the time. 🌻Opposite the consulate is the No. 15 Huangpu Road, the Richard's Hotel (Image 5️⃣6️⃣), the earliest Western-style hotel in Shanghai, built in 1846 and expanded in 1907 into the current building with a strong British Neoclassical style. Renamed as the Pujiang Hotel in 1959, it remained in operation until 2017. In 2018, it was converted into the "China Securities Museum", which is open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30-16:00, allowing visitors to admire the exquisite interior decorations. 🌻No. 106 Huangpu Road comprises two adjacent buildings. The red one is known as the "Red House" (Image 4️⃣), and the one in front is called the "Grey House" (Image 3️⃣). The "Grey House", built in 1941, is of early modernist style, featuring a simple design with the highlight being the six grooved wall columns that run through to the fourth floor. In 1948, the building was named the "United Nations Building", housing approximately ten United Nations agencies in Shanghai. One of their significant tasks at the time was to aid in post-war recovery. The "Red House", designed by Japanese architect Isamu Hirano and completed in 1911, is of classical style with exquisite stone carvings on the facade. From 1911 to 1945, it served as the Japanese Consulate in Shanghai. 🌻At the end of Huangpu Road near Qingpu Road, close to the Hongkou Port, the area has been newly renovated and is now an excellent spot for sightseeing and relaxation (Images 8️⃣9️⃣🔟). #thingstodoshanghai